M.O.R.

This article is about the song by Blur. For the radio format see Middle of the road.

"M.O.R."
Song

"M.O.R." is the title of a song by Blur, from their eponymous album, Blur (also known as The Blurred Album). In typically ironic Blur fashion, the song could not be much further removed from the radio format. "M.O.R." reached #15 in the UK singles chart on its release as a single in 1997.

The song's melody was effectively borrowed from David Bowie's "Boys Keep Swinging" and is perhaps the most straightforward example of Bowie's influence on the band. Bowie and collaborator Brian Eno received credit for "M.O.R.", though the words, tempo, and instrumentation are completely different. "M.O.R." itself stands for "middle of the road", which appears in the lyrics. All Your Life is another song that borrows hugely from David Bowie, this time from "Oh! You pretty things".

The song's video was one of the most expensive the band ever made. It was shot in Sydney, Australia, and follows the misadventures of the band members (or rather, stuntmen in balaclavas pretending to be them) as they try to escape from the police. It also features cameos by stunt choreographer Grant Page as a helicopter pilot, and actor Noah Taylor in as a truck passenger.

Single track listing

CD1

1. "M.O.R." (Road Version)
2. "Dancehall"
3. "Country Sad Ballad Man" (Live Acoustic Version)
4. "Pop Scene" (Live at Peel Acres)
5. "On Your Own" (Live Acoustic Version)

CD2

1. "M.O.R." (Road Version)
2. "Swallows in a Heatwave"
3. "Movin' On (William Orbit Remix)"
4. "Beetlebum (Moby's Minimal House Remix)"

US CD

1. "M.O.R. (Road Version)"
2. "Pop Scene" (Live at Peel Acres)
3. "Song 2" (Live at Peel Acres)
4. "Bustin' + Dronin'"

7"

1. "M.O.R. (Road Version)"
2. "Swallows in a Heatwave"